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Publish Date: Dec. 8, 2024

The year is 1922, and Jay Gatsby鈥檚 extravagant parties are the talk of the town. But when the party鈥檚 over and the lights are dimmed, all that glitters isn鈥檛 gold.

海角直播鈥檚 theatre program staged an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald鈥檚 鈥淭he Great Gatsby鈥� Dec. 6-8, turning the Finkelstein Performing Arts Center into a setting for the Roaring 鈥�20s-themed production.

Eight novice actors, along with 海角直播 stage veterans and a live jazz band, brought Fitzgerald鈥檚 classic novel to life. It was selected and directed by Department Chair Paul Jacques, who selected the piece to challenge his students, while also exploring themes of classism, obsession, and murder. 

鈥溾�橤atsby鈥� is far from a love story. It鈥檚 about 鈥榩ossession鈥� and 鈥榞etting,鈥欌�� said Jacques. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very much set in the American Boom when things were more important than relationships.鈥�

The F. Scott Fitzgerald novel 鈥淕atsby鈥� was released in 1925 and has since been adapted for the stage, film, and television. Its main character, Nick Carraway, shares his experience navigating the social scene of Long Island, New York, with the audience through first-person narration.

He soon reconnects with his cousin, Daisy, who is married to fellow Yale alum Tom Buchanan. Nick then meets Jordan Baker, a flapper and golf champion, who reveals Tom and Daisy鈥檚 secrets, such as Tom is keeping a mistress while Daisy turns a blind eye.

Later, Nick is invited to meet Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who uses Nick to stage a reunion with his long-lost love, Daisy, but the romance is not meant to be, nor is Nick鈥檚 fascination with New York.

鈥淵ou really don鈥檛 know who the 鈥榞ood guys鈥� are because at the end of the story, we really don鈥檛 know who Jay Gatsby is,鈥� Jacques explained. 鈥淭he only real genuine person in the show is Nick. He comes to New York because it鈥檚 鈥榝lashier鈥� than the Midwest and leaves because he鈥檚 sick of it.鈥�

The title character of Gatsby was played by William Merrigan, while Daisy and Tom were played by Sidney Pulido and Roe McCarty, respectively. Rounding out the rest of the cast were Marisa Yanez as Myrtle Wilson, Alyssa Linnemann as Jordan Baker, Zachery Vazquez as George Wilson, Olivia Papp as Mrs. McKee, Alexander Padilla as Meyer Wolfsheim, Karlos McGee and Ariel Martinez as Wolfsheim Thugs, and Shea Meager-Cannis as Mr. McKee.

Ismael Sanchez, an 18-year-old theatre major from Yucaipa, made his Finkelstein debut in the role of Nick Carraway, a character that struck his interest from his first script read. 鈥淭he thing that really made me want to be Nick was his innocence,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot only that, I could apply most of my current situations鈥攁 new school, new people I鈥檓 meeting, and not being exposed to a college setting yet鈥擨 could bring a lot of my own personal experiences into Nick, his innocence, and his viewpoint.

鈥淚t was truly a great experience,鈥� said Sanchez.